Major League Baseball successfully avoided a lockout when the players association and owners agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement Wednesday night.
While it is interesting to read about draft-pick compensation, qualifying offers, luxury-tax thresholds, international free agency and revenue sharing, baseball fans flock to the park for entertainment – not financial seminars.
Here are five interesting details about the new CBA that have nothing to do with the almighty dollar but should improve the on-field product and please fans:
All-Star Game no longer affects the World Series
The Midsummer Classic no longer will determine the home-field advantage in the Fall Classic, as first reported by The Associated Press. Instead, common sense finally has prevailed: The team with the better regular-season record will earn home-field advantage.
A new start time
The season just got longer, sort of. Beginning in 2018, the regular season will begin earlier and in the middle of the week – in an effort to create more off days and lessen the travel burden over the course of the 162-game marathon. That means more days games and fresher players.
A different DL
The Associated Press also reports the minimum stay on the disabled list will be reduced from 15 days to 10 days. So a player with a minor injury will be able to return more quickly, perhaps without a minor-league rehab assignment.
No roster expansion
FOX’s Ken Rosenthal first reported that the two sides were considering adding a 26th roster spot during the season in exchange for roster limitations in September. The concern was that the extra roster spot would be used for a reliever, potentially slowing down the game with an additional pitching change. No worries.
Smokeless tobacco ban
All players without at least one day of major-league service time will be prohibited from using smokeless tobacco during games, the New York Post first reported. However, the ban doesn’t apply to players who already have major-league experience.
